


Style Sacrifices and Soulmates

by CasuallyBadass



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Tattoos, M/M, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Tattooed Castiel, Tattooed Dean Winchester, Tattoos, Tropes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-09 17:41:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15272799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CasuallyBadass/pseuds/CasuallyBadass
Summary: Soulmates are special. Not only are they bonded through life, but also through terrible tattoo decisions.When Castiel wakes up at 16 he finds a flaming pentagram over his heart, and as the years go by it only gets worse.His ultra religious parents would freak if they knew and his only cousin is full of terrible payback ideas.WIP.





	1. Teenage Kicks

First it was a flaming pentagram over his heart, a large piece, the size of a fist. Dull pain radiated from his chest an entire week before fading away. 

He could no longer walk around his home shirtless, should his family see what's become of their son’s chest. They’d say this surely meant his soul was doomed, his soulmate a satanic worshipper. They'd disown him, he'd end up homeless, and at 16 it wasn't anything he was adept to handle. No, Castiel would just keep himself covered, until college at least, and pray his soulmate, whomever they are, stop getting tattoos, or at least keep getting them in easily hidden places. He didn't feel like the tattoo meant anything specific other than his soulmate had terrible taste, but then again he hasn't been as faithful to God as he should have been, and maybe it was the devil's sign.

\---------------------

Just past dawn on Castiel’s 17th birthday, his older cousin Gabriel jumped on top of his bed, entirely too excited for the time of day.

He dragged Castiel into the bathroom while the sleepy teenager hardly put up a fight, Gabriel going so far as to help him start undressing. Castiel quickly snapped awake when Gabriel went for his shirt, lifting the hem high enough to show parts of the two other tattoos his soulmate forced into his skin. Sleep-addled and not fast enough Gabriel saw, eyes sparkling and the corners of his lips turning up in a smile.

“Cassie! You have soulmate tattoos too?! Since when? You've gotta show me!” he hush-exclaimed.

Castiel let out a breath, both anxious and excited, if anyone in his family wouldn't judge him for the tattoos, it'd be Gabriel, who at 20, sported not one, but two tribal butterfly tramp stamps, one on each dimpled love handle. 

He lifted off his shirt slowly, feeling more naked than he really was, finally exposing the tattoos to another person in all their glory. A Latin phrase he translated to mean “I fear no evil”, curved around his right lower ribs, and on his left, a heavy garden of black and gray roses. And of course the flaming pentagram topping off the trifecta in the center of his chest.

Gabriel let out a low whistle, his eyebrow raised in a question at the Latin, and disappearing fully into his hairline when he reached the flames. 

Castiel swallowed, pointing to the Latin, “This came a few months ago. It translates to ‘I fear no evil.’ The roses were second, the pentagram first, when I was 16. At first I thought it was satanic, but I've found similar designs used to ward off evil.” He was waiting for Gabriel to say something, anything. 

His eyebrows were both in his hairline now. 

“I thought I had it bad, but your soulmate sure did a number on you though.” Gabriel whistled low again and then chuckled, the noise still kept quiet in the early morning silence of the house. “It's like they know you basically live in a monastery. Jeeze, no wonder you're such a summer fun sponge. I'm betting you haven’t shown your ‘rents these beauties?”

Castiel shook his head violently. “Can you imagine me still being allowed in the house with not one, but two references to evil on my body?” 

Gabe shook his head with a sad smile on his face. His dad didn't follow the religious cult that his aunt and uncle did, and for that he was grateful. 

He shoved Castiel towards the shower to lighten the mood, “Get ready Cassie, I'll make us road snacks for the theme park. No jerking off. I wanna leave before 6.” 

And with that he left the bathroom, his cousin gaping at him, and a plan to cheer him already in the works...There had to be a tattoo shop on the way to the theme park that wouldn't look too hard at the fake ID he got Cassie for his birthday.


	2. It takes Two

The ride to the amusement park was terse.

“Gabriel, I am not getting a tattoo. You haven’t gotten one of your own even though your soulmate has given you two horrendous pieces. So why should I start a skin war before I’ve even met them?” Castiel was thankful beyond belief the only tattoo shop they bypassed was closed this early in the morning. 

Gabriel shrugged, eyes on the road. “Who said one of my tattoos wasn’t done by me?”

Castiel whipped his head around, eyes round as saucers. 

Gabe chuckled, “The first tribal butterfly monstrosity that showed up wasn’t really centered, so I had it duplicated to even it out. So now I’ve got 2 tattoos. Whoop-de-doo! They’re hideous, but they don’t take up much space on my skin, and whoever doesn’t want to see the tribal love on my lovehandles is missing out. My soulmate will approve.”

Castiel was shocked. “But … why?”

Gabriel looked over at Castiel, eyebrow raised and lips turned up in an overall exasperated look.  
“Listen kid, half your torso is covered in witchcraft and you just turned 17. I think it’s only fair you put your own mark there.”

He looked back at the road, eyes a little protective. “I mean it Cassie, you gotta let your soulmate know they’re affecting a real person. That’s why I did what I did. And that’s why you should get one of your own.”

Castiel thought about it. A little more than half the population had a soulmate, and many didn’t know until they chose to ink their skin and more was returned. Gabriel had a point. He let out a sigh. 

“Maybe…on the way back. But don’t push me.”

\----------

The car was parked outside the piercing and tattoo shop. The engine clicking as it began to cool. Gabe was fidgeting in his seat, “You ready? I won’t give you shit if you want to do it another day, but who knows when your soulmate has their next one planned.”

Castiel took in a deep breath and nodded, opening the car door. Gabriel hopped out immediately.

There was a low bell over the door, Gabriel walking straight up to the desk while Castiel stood in the doorway and looked around. The inside of the shop was much warmer looking than the outside indicated, there were wooden floors, bright lights, and most importantly it was clean. Castiel felt himself loosening up a little bit, but still horrendously nervous. 

He could hardly enjoy the day at the amusement park, his thoughts crowded over by possible tattoo ideas, finally settling on a bee hanging out by the roses on his ribs. He didn’t know why but he felt the roses were important, a memorial or something. He didn’t want to deface it, but hopefully add to the design. Also he likes bees, they’re important to him, and a mark that’s truly his own. He didn’t think his soulmate would be too upset at him for adding a single bee to their design.

Gabe called him over to finish filling out paperwork. His heart fluttering a mile a minute as he slid over his fake ID and signed the waver forms and promising he was over 18 and of sound mind.

The girl at the counter gave him a small smile, “I’m Bess by the way. Is this your first tattoo?” Castiel didn’t know how to answer…obviously it was his first tattoo design, but not his first tattoo. 

Too slow to respond, Gabriel answered for him “First he’s designed. Got one hell of a tattoo-crazy soulmate though, we’re hoping this will stop them until the two love birds meet.” 

Bess nodded in understanding. “I’ve found that usually the first soulmate gets something small, and if it’s reciprocated people usually stop until after they’ve met. That’s what happened with me and my soulmate, Garth. Who by the way will be your artist today, so let’s get you settled in his chair. Big brother you can come too.“

Castiel opened his mouth to say Gabriel was his cousin, but after seeing a glare from Gabe he swallowed the words down, quickly remembering his fake ID has Shurley on it and Gabe paid with the "Gabriel Shurley" credit card. Bess looked at him expectantly. 

“I’m really nervous. Thanks for letting him come too.”

She smiled again and brought them to the 3rd room in the back, where a tall gangly man with a very kind face greeted them “Why hello boys! Who’s the lucky guy getting a tattoo right now?” 

Gabriel quickly sat down in the chair provided, while Castiel shyly raised his hand. 

“Why hello there! What do you have in mind?”

\----------

Dean Winchester woke up with a sudden sting on the left side of his ribs and quickly went for the knife under his leather jacket-turned-pillow. He knew this goddamn house was haunted but hoped squatting in it for one night wouldn’t anger the spirit. He was out of salt.

Blinking owlishly, head whipping around, he held his breath, waiting to feel coldness on his skin and see a shimmer in the air. Nothing. He slowly stood up, trying not to make any noise as he stood at attention, knife out in front of him, waiting for the ghost to attack. 

After 5 minutes of nothing but crickets outside the cracked glass window on his right, he shoved the knife into his belt and bent down to grab his flashlight from his duffel bag. Dean turned it on and walked across the room to the adjoining bathroom. 

He pointed the light at the mirror and took his shirt off, looking where the sting still sharply throbbed on his left ribs. He was expecting an angry, red looking scratch and instead saw a black and gray bee, inked among the roses.

Holy shit. He had a soulmate.


	3. Through the Streets of Monaco

Castiel woke up the early morning after his 17th birthday with a telltale soreness on his ribs. Wincing as he got out of bed he shuffled into the bathroom to inspect the damage. He flicked on the lights and squinted at their brightness. Took in a deep breath and lifted his shirt.

Under the cling-wrap, his bee stood out on red-hued skin, buzzing among the roses. He blinked, looking down in disbelief that there was nothing else there to cause the pain. Maybe his soulmate wasn’t an absolute asshole. 

He chuckled and let a small smile grace his face as he dropped his shirt, did some bathroom business and crawled back into bed. 

When Castiel woke up later, it was to the unfortunate knowledge that the pain on his left multiplied and spread lower. Sighing as he stretched his arms up, wincing a bit, he headed back to the bathroom to inspect the damage. 

He had instinctively known this piece was a memorial; but seeing the text inside the newly added banner really solidified how bad an idea it was to take Gabriel’s advice. _Mom_. He defaced a _Mom_ memorial tattoo. Now _he_ was definitely the asshole in this soulmate pair.

Hoping his soulmate would forgive him but also maybe stop getting tattoos, Castiel gently lifted the taped edges of his plastic-wrapped bee off his skin and turned on the shower.

\----------

Castiel was 21 years old and his entire chest was covered in soulmate tattoos.

He thought being in college, two states away from his conservative parents, he would feel less awkward about showing off his soulmate tattoos. But really, how could he, when his soulmate was a fucking assbutt?

After the _Mom_ banner came text in Enochian, above the Latin on his right. Again, it denounced evil and asked for protection. Other oddly shaped pentagrams and occult symbols came after that, all blended together in a pattern cascading across his chest, back up to his flaming pentagram. His soulmate averaged 2 tattoos a year, and all-together, it wasn’t bad looking, for which Castiel was eternally grateful, but he either had to explain the story of his assbutt soulmate or pretend to be heavily interested in the occult. 

Neither was something he enjoyed, and both outcomes left him with pitiful stares and promises of prayers.

So yeah, if Castiel could avoid removing his shirt around others, he happily would. 

He learned, not long after getting to college, that had had a bit of a preference towards the men on campus, and that if he bottomed during his quick encounters he could keep his shirt on and let off some steam. Win-Win. He quickly learned the few women he met with wanted the whole package. 

And the results were the above. Pitiful stares and promises of prayers.

So men it was. Tonight he had his eyes on one guy specifically, a grad student in his Classic English Lit class who had a delicious British accent, wore deep v-neck shirts and sinfully tight jeans. The only question was, would this guy top?

The answer was no. Balthazar would not top, and he was also heavily invested in feeling Castiel up under his shirt, managing to get it off shortly after beginning their make-out session in the room they stumbled into.

“Darling, ooh” he mumbled, tsking as he took in the chest pieces, eyes flitting around Castiel’s chest far more soberly than he seemed when they stumbled in not 5 minutes ago. “You’ve snagged yourself quite the wild child, haven’t you?”

Castiel was buzzed enough the blush in his cheeks didn’t immediately darken further. He shrugged and reached out to grab his shirt, discarded on the bed. But Balthazar held up a finger to stop him. “I don’t mind darling. You’ve got to see what I’ve got here.”

Balthazar turned his back to Castiel and lifted his own shirt. 

And that’s how Castiel met Gabriel’s soulmate. And promptly fainted.

\----------

When he came to, Balthazar was sitting beside him, holding a cold cloth to his forehead. 

“How’s your head Cassie?” Castiel grunted, both at the pain radiating from the back of his head and to the nickname his planned hookup pulled out of thin air. His cousin’s soulmate WOULD immediately call him Cassie. 

“I’ve got to admit, I’ve never quite had that reaction before,” chuckled Balthazar as he lifted the cloth off of Castiel’s head and put it down on the carpet. “Think you can get up? Or get _it_ up still? I’m still game if you are gorgeous.”

“Ho-hold on.” Castiel squeezed his eyes closed and lifted himself up, Balthazar holding his back as he sat up against the foot of the bed. He pulled out his phone and dialed his cousin. 

It rang twice before Gabriel answered, Balthazar looking at him confusedly. “What’s up cuz!? I thought you were at a rager tonight.”

Castiel took in a deep breath, centering the pain in his head and pulling the phone away from his ear as a preventative measure. “Gabe. I found your soulmate.” 

“MY WHAT?!”

Balthazar looked at Castiel confused, and then looked at the phone shouting obscenities and excitements loud enough to hear, even without speaker. 

Castiel handed the phone to a baffled Balthazar, “That’s Gabe. Your soulmate. I’m going to find someone’s toothbrush to use. Just say ‘hi’.” He pulled himself to his feet and took in another deep breath, his headache receding, but his shock still in the forefront of his mind. 

As he exited the room he heard a tentative accented “Hello?” trying to break through the noise Gabriel was still spewing. Just his luck his night would end up like this.

\----------

When Gabriel finally made it to the campus, they hit it off.

Castiel’s dream of banging Balthazar came to an immediate and crashing halt when he saw them meet the first time. And his attraction to the man dimmed the more time he had to spend among his and Gabriel’s company – belatedly realizing how very, very similar they were to each other. He can’t believe he almost slept with the guy.

It turns out Balthazar’s tattoo was the work of a drunk night in Monaco and a dare by a lifelong friend. It makes total sense he would end up with Gabriel. They were soulmates who had an understanding of each other. Not jerkfaces who keep adding occult tattoos twice a year. And though the topic had long been dropped between Gabriel and Castiel – since the bee disaster, really. Balthazar had no such qualms in bringing up his idea for Castiel to fill out his back with tattoos.

To his utmost horror they ganged up on him about it, going as far as to strip him out of his two layers of shirts, and forcing him to stand tall while they ogled. Gabriel had not seen them since Castiel’s 19th birthday when he had a few less occult symbols, and Balthazar obviously had a fresh look a few days prior. Gabriel's right hand covered his mouth in shock.

“Cassie… Cassie you gotta do something about this. Your dickwad of a soulmate has filled out nearly your entire chest! “ 

Castiel flinched. Stood fidgeting, and wishing he had something to cover himself with. He felt far more naked than he really was. He had an idea brewing the last few months, that was forming more solidly as he hung around Gabriel and Balthazar these past few days. “I had an idea... I just don’t know if it’s a good one.”

Gabriel opened his mouth but Balthazar beat him to it “So what is it Cassie?”

Castiel closed his eyes, fearing rejection from his closest confidant for what, really, is a huge call to war, if the bee was anything to go by. Eyes still closed, he whispered, knowing Gabriel would immediately understand. “Wings.”

\----------

There was a huge sense of calm that came over him as he looked at his back in the mirror. The wings were a beautiful shape. Gorgeous thin outlines that shaped his back as if they were meant for him. They weren’t completed yet, but he could see what a magnificent piece they would be when they were done. If he had to guess, it would be another 2-3 sessions, because of the size. He shrugged his shirt back over his shoulders and turned to leave the bathroom. 

Dean couldn’t wait to see them done.


End file.
